Exploring factors that influence the combined use of mobile devices and public displays for pedestrian navigation

Abstract

Large displays are rapidly proliferating in public spaces, and could therefore be an attractive resource to support nomadic users in such contexts, e. g. by providing additional screen real estate or by augmenting services delivered through a mobile device. While previous work on combining public displays and mobile devices has identified a number of benefits of this combination, it is not yet clear if users will actually use such a system and if they do, why and when. In this paper, we present two initial user studies investigating factors relevant to user acceptance and usability in the context of a deployed system that provides pedestrian navigation support through a combination of mobile devices and public displays. Based on the results from a repertory grid analysis, we identify dimensions that are relevant for users deciding whether to use a public display or not, and discuss implications for the design of such systems.